Nearly Lost You
by Tari Palantir
Summary: AU.When Sam was five, he learned what "Do not talk to strangers" really meant.CHAPTER 9 UP *JUNE 5, 2010*
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** So, after 3 hours of burning my eyes on the computer screen, I finally made the first part of my first Supernatural fanfiction. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER**: Supernatural belongs to somebody else, so don't sue me.

**NEARLY LOST YOU** by Tari Palantir

Five-year-old Sam Winchester huffed and pouted his chubby cheeks as he sat on one of the playground swings in his school. _Why was Daddy taking so long?_

It had taken a serious effort in producing his irresistible "lost puppy" eyes (as Dean called it) for his teacher to allow him to play in their small playground. Ms. Dizon didn't like the idea of him playing without supervision, but who could resist Sam's patented look? And so she had let him go, on the agreement that Sam will call for her the moment that anything was wrong. Sam knew she would constantly check up on him anyway, so he happily went and had a go in their small slide and tunnels.

But that seemed like ages ago, and now Sam was actually starting to get bored. As he sat swinging idly to and fro, he couldn't help but wonder why his father was late. He looked up as Ms. Dizon poked her head out from their classroom door, checking up on him. "Is my Daddy here?" he asked hopefully. He let out another impatient sigh as his teacher shook her head. She beckoned him to come inside, and Sammy followed suit, running as fast as his little legs could allow.

Ms. Dizon smiled and ruffled his curly mop of hair affectionately as he came inside. "Look at you, now you're all sweaty and icky!" She playfully made a disgusted face, making Sam laugh. She always looked funny when she did that.

His teacher glanced at her watch. "I will try to call your Dad, okay? He might have forgotten that we will let you kids go early today."

He nodded and watched as his teacher talked to his Dad on the phone. He could faintly hear his father's voice as his teacher informed him that Sam was the only child left in their class. Ms. Dizon hung up and smiled at Sam after a few moments. "I was right, your Dad forgot of our new schedule today. Why don't you sit on the front steps and wait for him? He said he was on his way already."

Sam smiled happily as raced towards the small school's front entrance, waiting eagerly for his father. His teacher chuckled as he almost stumbled in his haste. Sam was really the most endearing among her students.

"I'll be checking on you okay?" she called out to the running child. Smiling, she turned to sit on her table. That was when she saw the man standing in front of her. Her gasp of surprised pain was lost on the little child sitting on the front steps as she fell in an unconscious heap.

* * *

Sam was humming one of Dean's favorite songs as he sat waiting for his father. He smiled as he thought of his brother. Dean was older and _way _cooler than his classmates, so he liked to hang out with him better. "Excepts when he farts really loud," he murmured to himself.

His musings were interrupted by a dull thud. He gasped as he saw a man lying still on the pavement. For a short moment, Sam thought that the man was dead, but then the stranger twitched and moaned a few seconds later.

His little forehead scrunched as he thought of his Daddy's advice, _Don't EVER talk to people you don't know, unless I told you to._ The man moaned again, rolling onto his back in the hard concrete. Ignoring his father's voice in his head, Sam decided to help the seemingly sick man.

Sam ran towards the man and after a moment's hesitation, tapped the clean- shaven face below him. "Hey mister, are you okay?" The man blinked at him groggily, before groaning. Sam helped him stand up, which wasn't easy, the man was almost as tall as his Daddy.

"Yes, I just need to sit down for a while," the man replied in a smooth deep voice. Sam helped him sit on one of the school steps.

"Are you sick?" Sam blurted out before he could stop himself. "I tell my teacher to call an absmulance."

The man chuckled at the error, but shook his head. "No need, I think I'm fine now. Thank you." Sam continued to stare at him, unblinking. "What's wrong, child?"

Sam moved closer, trying to see if his mind was not trying to trick him.

"_Christo."_ Sam murmured. Dad always told him to check if people are possessed. He feels something odd about the man sitting beside him. He moved closer, trying to detect any change in the stranger's eyes. There was nothing. But now the man was looking at him weirdly, as if he was crazy. _Great going Sam_, he mentally told himself. _Now he thinks you are a weirdo._

"What was that about?" the man asked him.

"Nothing," he lied quickly before changing the subject. "Hey, are you okay now?"

"Yes," the man replied, scooting closer to Sam. "Hey, you want to see a cool trick?" He revealed his closed fist to the boy, as if he was hiding something inside the enclosed hand.

Sam's eyes went wide. Maybe the man was a magician. That would explain why he looked different. He wasn't wearing magician clothes though, just jeans and a t-shirt. "Are you doing magic?" he asked excitedly.

The man cocked his head slightly before beckoning him to come closer. "Something like that."

"Uhm, before you show your magic, can I ask you something?" Sam couldn't resist, so he decided to ask anyway.

The man nodded for him to continue, one fist still enclosed.

So Sam asked the question that has been bugging him from the moment he helped the stranger. "Why are your eyes yellow?"

The man smiled a wicked smile that Sam didn't really like, before responding, "Because Sammy, I am a demon." Then he leaned casually on the steps, as if he just told some randomly trivial thing.

Sammy reeled in shock. A demon? Dad said demons were bad. That one had killed Mommy. _But why didn't Christo work?_ He thought frantically. He tried to move away, but his legs seemed rooted on the spot.

"I'm very powerful Sammy, that's why it didn't work," the man answered, as if reading his mind.

"Now, for my cool trick…"

The last thing Sam remembered was seeing the man open his hand to blow something in his face, before his world was enveloped in darkness.

* * *

**Please don't read and run. (That's my job!) Flames and constructive criticisms are better than no reviews at all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I've been extremely busy with school, hence the delay. I couldn't upload the last part of this fic, so I'll give you this for now. My warmest thanks for those who gave encouragement and praise. I really appreciate it.

**DISCLAIMER**: I wish I did, but I don't. Hence the sadness.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**  
by Tari Palantir

John Winchester held himself back and mentally cursed as he waited for the stoplight to change hue. The last thing he needed was for the cops to delay him further for over speeding and ignoring traffic signs. Getting into a car accident is not a nice scenario either.

But he needed to get to Sammy, and traffic rules should not be a hindrance to that.

He had smacked his forehead upon receiving a phone call from Sammy's teacher, telling him that his youngest was the only child left in her class. Now that same forehead was furrowed as he drove to Sammy's school.

"Damn that poltergeist," he muttered, pushing the gas pedal just shy of the limit. Last night's hunt turned out nasty and tiring, he barely remembered coming home and sending the boys off to school this morning. He could almost see Mary shaking her head at him in disappointment How could he have forgotten their baby boy? What if something bad happens to their little Sammy?

He sighed sadly, rubbing the sleep off his eyes as he parked in front of Sammy's kindergarten school. _I'm sorry Mary. I'm trying, believe me…_

John hoped that his youngest wasn't too upset about his tardiness. He didn't think he could handle Sammy's teary face or his little pout right now. It was, as Dean pointed out, one of his few weaknesses. Not that his sandy blond eldest was immune from the, far from it. But Sammy seemed to forgive Dean a little faster than his father when he messed up. In a way, he wasn't so surprised by the bond his boys shared. Dean had done so many things for Sam when he couldn't.

But today Dean was still in school, so he couldn't expect the boy to clean his mess, like he always seemed to do in taking care of Sam. He smiled ruefully, thinking of how things might have been different, so different…

His smile faded a little when he didn't see Sammy waiting for him expectantly on the front steps. The smile vanished and turned into a frown as he detected a hint of ozone in the air.

* * *

"_Dean!"_

Dean Winchester jerked in surprise from his math-induced stupor at the sudden call. He gave a nasty glare to his snorting seatmate, deftly avoiding falling from his chair and causing a major embarrassment for himself. He glanced about, looking for the source of his sudden wake-up call. He frowned as he scanned the room. _Sorry Houston, no sign of life here…_

Indeed, Mr. Skinner was still droning on about something only geeks would care about, oblivious to the absent-minded nods and faraway glazed looks of his students.

"_Dean…"_

The sound made him frantically search again. It sounded familiar – oddly and frighteningly familiar.

And just as he thought it, he saw puppy-dog eyes peeking from behind their classroom door, strands of messy brown hair poking out from its edge.

"_I'm scared."_

The sight was enough to make him stand up and call out, feet already moving towards the door. He knew that voice more than anybody. "Sammy?!" he called out.

But there was no sign of his little brother anywhere. And as Dean's mind reasoned that it was just plain ridiculous to even think so, he heard the voice again, this time behind him. "_Help me!"_

Looking back quickly, all he saw were his teacher and classmates looking at him weirdly for his sudden outburst. The cloud of boredom had lifted the moment he shouted his brother's name.

Instinctively, heart hammering, he quipped, "Well Houston, I guess there's life here after all."

Then he bolted out, searching for the nearest exit. He didn't know how or why, but he knew that his baby brother needed him. _Hang on, Sammy. I'm coming._

* * *

Bored? Why don't you give that review button a try? ; )_  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** A sincere apology for the massive delay caused by life's meddling. This update is short, but it's what I managed to jot down in the little time off I have from work. Thank you very much for those who took the time to give me a feedback. Peace!

**DISCLAIMER**: If I own them, things would be a lot easier...

**NEARLY LOST YOU **

**by Tari Palantir **

John slowly entered Sammy's school with a great sense of foreboding. Silently he moved towards the classrooms, aware of the fact that neither Sam nor his teacher has acknowledged his arrival. He thought from the way Sam's teacher sounded on the phone that his boy was well impatient for him to arrive he even thought that Sammy would be sitting on the school steps already, waiting for the familiar sound of his car. Being greeted by this silence…well, it raised his alarm bells even more than it already was.

_Something's not right_, he thought. _Just like when Mary.._

He couldn't continue the thought anymore as a familiar ache surged in his heart. Wincing, he turned to enter one of the classrooms, before going put again upon not seeing anybody inside.

"Sam?" he called out as he moved towards the entrance to his boy's classroom. "Daddy's here," he added more loudly upon receiving no reply. Unconsciously, he felt for his gun, loaded and ready should any need for it arise.

He half-expected to see his baby's head poke out from one of the doorways and shout "BOO!", just like the kid used to do whenever he came home late from a hunt. It pissed him off quite often, as he can still clearly recall how he had almost blown his baby's head off with his rifle in shock. But Sam's sheepish grin and puppy-dog eyes always made up for his dangerous prank.

But now, there isn't even any sign of his little boy, save for his painted handprint displayed on one of the classroom walls.

He turned, and froze at the sight before him.

* * *

"_Sam! Wake up!"_

_Sam jolted out from his sleep at the urgent call, surprised to find himself on a bed. Blearily, he scanned his surroundings, just in time to see his older brother come in from the other room._

"_Welcome back to the land of the living, "Dean said, flopping down on the squeaky mattress. "I thought I had to dump you in the tub or something."_

_Sam stared at his brother, confused. _I thought I was in school_, he thought. _And Daddy was…

"_Dad!" he blurted out. "Where's Daddy?!" Panicking, he frantically searched for any sign of his father._

"_Whoa there, kiddo, "his brother replied, grabbing and steadying his shoulders. "Dad's out hunting the bad guys. It's just you and me here."_

"_But Daddy's s'pposed to pick me up from school, "Sam continued, puzzled at the realization of his whereabouts. "How come I'm here?"_

_Dean chuckled, ruffling his hair. "That was this morning**, Samantha**. It's night already."_

_He frowned at the name while his sandy blond-haired brother stood up and started for the kitchen. _

"_C'mon, let's eat. I'm starving."_

_Sam followed, still confused about the situation. He really thought he was supposed to be still in school, waiting for his father to come and get him. Deciding to trust Dean as he always do, he let the matter drop and proceeded to the rickety table provided by their rented motel room._

"_Dig in," said Dean, already eating his dinner. _

_Sam sat and looked down at the contents of his bowl. "Spaghetti O's?"_

"_Of course it's Spaghetti O's," replied his brother. He guzzled a glass of orange juice. "It's your favorite."_

_Sam stared at his brother, a curious expression on his face. Dean noticed him looking and asked, "What's the matter, Sammy?"_

"_Nothing," he lied feebly, picking up his fork and starting to eat. "I – I just miss Daddy."_

"_Yeah? Well, me too."_

_They both continued to eat in comfortable silence. Sam tried to quell the growing unease inside him. _Something's weird here_, he mused, glancing casually around their motel room. He couldn't point it out exactly, but something about everything seemed different somehow._

_As he bowed his head for another mouthful, an image of a strange man flashed in his mind. The man was blowing something towards him, but he couldn't figure what._

_He didn't notice how Dean's eyes flashed yellow momentarily as his older brother gazed upon him with a sadistic hunger in his eyes._

* * *

John turned, and froze at the sight before him. 

A pair of legs was sticking out from behind the teacher's desk, lying unnaturally still. He hurriedly went around the table and bent down, gun already drawn out.

Sammy's teacher lay there on the floor, unconscious. He let out a small sigh of relief upon finding a pulse. It was clear from the way she fell that somebody attacked and caught her by surprise. Heart hammering, he tried to look for any markings on the limp teacher, hoping to get an idea on just what the hell happened.

_Because if somebody attacked Sammy's teacher, then that means…_

"You're late."

John quickly turned and pointed his gun at the source of the deep male voice that suddenly came from behind him. A man, clad in jeans and a shirt, stood before him smiling wickedly. The man was holding a sleeping little boy in his arms, a boy with curly brown locks…

"Sam," he said in realization. "Give him to me," he ordered, still pointing the gun on this stranger.

His hands tensed and tightened even further around his gun as the man's eyes flickered from brown to yellow. _Shit!_

"Now, now, John," the man said in a patronizing tone. "You can't just tell people what to do you know? With you being late and all."

"What do you want?" he hissed, anger simmering in his blood. This was the asshole responsible for their messed up life. The one who snatched Mary and his happiness away from him. And now the demon was holding his youngest, the very one whom he fought so hard to protect.

The demon chuckled at his question. "What I want, John Winchester, is beyond your or any man's comprehension." He moved towards one of the chairs in the room and sat down, revealing Sam's face. His baby boy was curled up on the demon's lap, unmoving.

Although there were no visible injuries, John didn't want to think as to how Sam came to be in such a state.

"Such a pretty little kid you have here," the demon continued casually, tracing his fingers gently on the innocent face of his youngest. "So much potential…"

John could barely keep his temper in check at the sight. "Get your filthy hands off my son!" he spat.

But still the demon continued, smoothing away Sam's stubborn locks from his forehead.

"I think you should put your gun down now," he said calmly, "You don't want any accidents, do you?"

Then he bent down and lifted the sleeping boy closer to his chest, letting Sam's head lean limply backwards on his shoulder. "You don't want little _Sammy_ here to get hurt, do you?"

John stared wrathfully at the evil entity using his baby as a shield. He looked at Sam, seemingly asleep, lashes fanned out on his chubby cheeks. His heart cried at the thought that someone of pure light as Sammy could be held by such darkness.

Hand shaking minutely, he placed the gun gently on the nearby desk, all the while staring at the yellow-eyed man.

The demon smiled triumphantly, relishing the defeat of the arrogant hunter.

"Good," he said, yellow eyes glowing ominously. "Now we can talk."

* * *

**There you have it. I'll be updating as soon as I get another break from work. In the meantime, all your reviews are welcome and deeply appreciated. - Tari  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Finally, another upload. Sorry for the wait. Note also, that the segments in italics are NOT flashbacks. ; )

**DISCLAIMER:** As much as I want to, I don't. So there.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**

By Tari Palantir

_The Winchester brothers sat on the worn-out couch parked in front of the television. Dean had chosen to watch a random horror movie, and was now laughing hard at film's "special effects"._

"_Man, that one just looked like my History teacher!"_

_Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "That's was not nice, Dean."_

"_What?" his brother replied in mock innocence._

"_Teachers are nice."_

"_No, they're not," countered Dean. "Not if they bore me to death."_

"_Are too!" Sam replied, annoyed. "They tell lotsa stories and they fix your toys and they give lotsa hugs!"_

_His older brother scoffed. "You're in __**pre-school**__ Sammy," he said. "Of course, they're nice. All the mean ones are in my school."_

"_It's Sam," he said in a huff._

_Dean sighed, flicking off the show. "Fine. It's time for bed anyway."_

_Sam pouted in response, earning a disapproving look from Dean._

"_Nuh uh, those puppy-eyes of yours won't work this time."_

_Knowing how adamant his brother can be, Sam reluctantly stood up from the couch and headed for their room. "Is Daddy coming home tonight?" he asked._

"_Nah. He'll be back tomorrow or something."_

"_Will you read me a story, Dean?" he begged, pulling his brother towards their bed. "I like the one with the dragons an' the fighting an' stuff."_

"_Sure," Dean replied._

"_Yeah!" Sam cheered, skipping towards the lumpy mattress. You're the bestest brother Dean!"_

"_I know."_

* * *

"Good," the demon said, yellow eyes glowing ominously. "Now we can talk."

John stared angrily at the evil entity keeping Sam hostage. "Give me my son back!"

"Ssh… there is no need to shout, John," replied the demon in a calm voice, infuriating the hunter even further. "You'll wake Samuel up."

The demon then bent his head down, smelling his child's brown locks.

"It hurts to do this, right?" the demon asked. "It pains you so much, how much he smells like Mary…"

The demon continued, pinning the hunter with its golden gaze. "It hurts so much that you avoid hugging your boy as much as possible."

John stiffened, feeling the remark hit too close to home. "You have no right to say her name." Inside, he reeled at how true the statement was, realizing how much he tended to veer away from showing affection to Sam. _I pushed him away everytime he tried to come to me. I couldn't stand it because he reminds me of everything I've lost._

"Why not?" the demon countered. "She really was the victim here, when you think about it. She got in the way, so she had to go."

"You bastard!" John snarled, advancing towards the creature. But he stopped immediately as the demon grabbed Sam's neck in a tight grip.

"Move and I'll wring _Sammy's_ pretty little neck."

"What the hell do you want?!"

"Don't worry, I won't take your precious boy…at least, not yet," the demon smirked. "I was merely…_updating_," he chuckled, as if relishing a private joke.

John frowned at the demon's words. _What the hell? Updating?_

Grimly, he thought of the situation. He knew he had to get Sam as soon as possible. He couldn't exactly shoot the bastard, unless he wanted to let his bullets go through his son. _Only one option then…_

He clenched his fists before starting to recite the verses of an exorcism rite ingrained in his memory ever since his wife was torched in the ceiling. The Latin verses flowed from his lips as he returned the demon's malevolent stare.

He brows furrowed slightly when the demon only sneered at his attempts at exorcism. Still he continued, waiting for the slightest change in the entity's demeanor.

"That tickles," the demon laughed, before snarling, "but that wasn't very _funny_!"

The demon then placed his hand on Sam's forehead, who immediately began to writhe in his arms, as if in pain.

John stopped reciting the verses upon hearing his son's pained moans. "Get your hands off him!" he moved to grab his youngest from the demon's grasp, but a strong invisible force threw him back, pinning him against one of the classroom walls.

He frantically struggled against the invisible bonds, panicking slightly at the sight of blood trickling from Sam's nostrils.

"Now, now, you've been a very bad man," the demon said. "Now you're stuck."

"Do you like tests, John?" the demon said yet again. "I think Samuel does. He's a very _special_ boy, from what I hear." The yellow eyes flickered for a moment to glance at the teacher lying on the cold floor.

"You see, I gave little Samuel a little test of my own."

"You bastard!" John hissed. "You said you wouldn't take him!

"Oops," the demon grinned, baring teeth. "I lied."

* * *

"Dean!" _Sam shouted in alarm._

_His older brother turned to look, and his eyes narrowed at the sight._

"_What happened?!" he frantically asked._

"_I don't know," was all Sam could say, staring at his bloodied hand disbelievingly. He blinked as a few more drops of red fluid fell from his nostrils._

What's going on? _he thought worriedly_.

* * *

_Dean!_

Dean stopped in his tracks at the unexpected sound, just barely avoiding the bumper of an incoming car. The car swerved just in time, earning him a pissed off cuss from the speeding car's driver.

"Sammy?" he asked as he looked around the street, hoping to see his brother. The distress on his baby brother's voice was more than he could bear.

His hopes sank a little upon not seeing any sign of Sam. _Where are you, Sammy? What's going on?_

Instinctively, he fingered the pendant on the necklace he always wore, fighting the urge to panic. He had to find his brother. He didn't know how, but he knew that something was very, very wrong.

Dean continued to run towards Sam's school, wondering all the way why he felt as if someone was going to take his little brother away from him.

* * *

There you have it. I vow to finish this no matter what! Thank you for taking the time to read and review. You give me strength. 


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Finally, an upload! To say that I've been very busy is an understatement. I owe everyone who took time to read my humble work a huge apology. This was originally a oneshot, but I just can't write fast like my idols in fanfiction history. Thanks for those who reviewed and put me on their alerts.

**DISCLAIMER:** Alas, I don't. Hence, I mope.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**  
** By Tari Palantir**

John had always hated the feeling of utter helplessness in his life, and he had vowed that he was done with it. Witnessing his wife's murder changed that view, making him aware of what little control he had in his life. On that fateful night, he felt the cold tendrils of despair grip his heart and that had almost made him want to break down and fade within that fiery nursery.

Truth be told, if Dean hadn't called out for him in alarm, he didn't think that he could have had the strength to save his baby boy and what's left of his heart.

_Sammy…_

He watched as a rivulet of red slowly made its way down his baby's cheek, all the while trying to calm his frantic mind enough to formulate a plan out of this mess.

_Good thing that Dean's not here, _he thought. _Otherwise, we're all in deep trouble._

His thoughts were cut off as the demon spoke once more, yellow eyes gazing at him stuck on the wall. He was still cradling Sam, one hand still softly smoothing the boy's unruly hair.

"Poor Samuel," the demon said. "Dean's not here to save him like he usually does."

He smirked at the pinned hunter, who was trying hard to break free from his strong invisible bonds.

"It's quite unfair, isn't it? Giving Dean such huge responsibility? I can't blame Samuel for picking him over you, given the circumstances."

John frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Language, John. You're in an educational institution."

The moment was interrupted by the sudden sound of Sammy moaning, his young face scrunched up in pain. John cringed as another trail of blood made its way down his son's nostril.

"What the hell have you done to him?!"

The demon scoffed at John's outburst. He dabbed at the red fluid with his index finger and popped it in his mouth. "Hmm."

John thought he would be sick at the sight.

"Do you know how Sam's blood hums with tremendous power? How he glows so brightly that we can't help but take a _closer_ look?"

"I want Samuel, John. You just have to accept the fact that he was never _only yours._'

"Oh yeah," John spat. "Like that would happen."

The demon chuckled. "Ah, the classic Winchester façade. Put on a brave face, and hopefully the enemy will think you're not to be messed with."

He looked at the sleeping boy once more. "I hate to break it to you, but Sam actually belongs to my side of the fence." A sly smile formed on his lips. "Of course, with your _goody-goody_ training at home and in this place, he needs a little _push._"

John frowned, his heart hammering as he processed what has been said.

"You see John, right now Sam is dreaming himself together with the person he trusts the most," the demon continued. "Sadly, it _isn't_ you."

"Dean." John blurted out. _Is he also unconscious like Sam, locked in a dream state?_

"Right on." replied the demon. "Dean then will take him to a _certain_ place, a place where Sam's mind will be vulnerable…and voila! He's mine for the taking."

"You're really stupid if you think Dean will ever do that." He countered sourly, trying not to let his voice betray the fear he was feeling.

The demon laughed. "Who said it's the _real_ Dean?"

The hunter paled at the realization. _So Dean is not really involved. But that means…_

"Sam knows his brother like the back of his hand." he muttered proudly. "He'll see through your petty trick."

"Will he, now?" the man sneered. "You'll see."

"Sam is mine the moment he wakes up."

* * *

"_Sam, we gotta ditch this place."_

_Sam looked up from his drawing paper, his green crayon halfway through the page. Dean was standing impatiently near the door, nervously peeking out in the darkness through the motel window. "Huh? Why?"_

"_We just have to, okay?" Dean replied, a hint of panic in his voice._

"_But Dean, I'm not done coloring my tree!" he protested. "Ms. Dizon wants us to finish it for tomorrow."_

"_Sam, this is more important than homework!" Dean snapped, before heading towards the bed and putting their belongings back in their duffel. "Start packing your stuff now."_

_Sam followed his brother, confused at Dean's behavior. "But Daddy told us to stay here, right? We can't just leave."_

"_Dad was supposed to return this morning," Dean replied worriedly. "He might be in trouble, Sam. He hasn't even called, not once."_

"_But where will we go? Do you know where he went?" _

"_Not exactly," his brother replied. "But he mentioned this house in Kansas, so we'll go there." Finished with his packing, Dean started checking the guns left by their father by the bed._

_Sam frowned in confusion. "Kansas? That's where we lived before right?"_

_A nod was only Dean's reply before an awkward silence filled the room._

"_Why don't we go to Pastor Jim first?" he suggested. "He might know where Dad went."_

"_No," Dean replied. "We have to go straight to Kansas."_

"_How about Caleb? He can get us to Dad."_

"_Look Sam, Dad may not have much time. We need to leave as soon as possible."_

_Sam looked on as his brother finished packing their gear. _What was going on? _he thought. His brother was acting weird._ _"And how will we go there?" he asked his brother with one hand on his hip. "We don't have the Impala."_

_Dean looked back at him, seemingly amused at the motherly pose his little brother had. "We'll take the bus, dummy."_

_Sam frowned. "I'm not a dummy!"_

"_No, you're just a __**girl**__."_

"_Dean!"_

"_C'mon, grab your gear. We need to help Dad."_

_Sam looked at Dean for a moment, confusion still evident in his eyes. _

"_Just trust me, okay?" Dean said after a while, staring intently at his brother._

"_Okay," Sam replied before scooping up his crayons and papers on the floor. If Dean was so confident, he'll follow him. _

_Once more, he didn't see the yellowish tint that momentarily lit up Dean's eyes._

"_Good boy…"_

* * *

Dean stopped, hands on his bent knees in front of Sam's school. Gradually, he controlled his ragged breathing, wiping the sweat of his forehead. Looking around, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary in the deserted parking lot.

_Maybe Sam's still inside. Did Dad forget to pick him up again?_ he thought, turning to go up the front steps.

"Here I go, Sammy," he murmured to himself. "I swear, if I find you just sitting all shiny and great on that sandbox I'll never live it down."_ Running out screaming is not a turn-on in school._

"Sammy?" he called out as he went in.

* * *

Inside, Sam moaned softly, eyes fluttering, still held in the demon's arms.

The evil entity's borrowed mouth twitched in a smirk, staring at the stuck hunter maliciously.

"What the hell are you smiling about?"

"I gotta hand it you, John," the demon replied. "You sure have bred such a stubborn clan."

Before John could even reply, the unmistakable voice of his eldest son echoed from across the hallway. "Sammy?"

_Shit._

"We've got company," the demon said in a sing-song voice.

* * *

**There you go! Hope you still like it. Reviews and flames are most welcome. I love to bask in praise and wallow in despair. Tari**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: **Santa ain't real huh? Because I still don't own them.Or maybe because I've been naughy?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: No words can express my regret from trying to run away from this fic. Well, it caught me. I know it's short, but people here in the house bug me all the time, so, I'll try to upload the last part before the year ends. Much love to all my readers!Mwah! Merry Christmas!

**NEARLY LOST YOU**

**by Tari Palantir**

Dean knew it the moment he saw his father stuck like a struggling butterfly on the wall. He knew it the moment he saw Sam held possessively in a stranger's arms.

He knew, the moment he saw the stranger's yellow eyes, that they were in deep trouble. _It's the demon…shit, it's the demon!_

Still, he advanced inside the classroom, eyes fixated on the trail of blood still visible under Sam's nose. "Dad?" he asked in his mind, trying to assess the situation, hoping for some reassurance. "This isn't a PTA meeting, right?"

His father just looked back at him grimly, mouth set in a firm line, before replying. "You think, Dean?"

The stranger laughed, head thrown back in great mirth. "Ah, that was a good one!"

Then he looked back at Dean and frowned. "Hello Dean. Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asked mockingly. "John and I here have something very important to discuss, and you shouldn't be interrupting us."

"Would that have something to do with Sam?" he countered, sounding much braver than he felt. "If it does, I have to be part of the conversation."

The demon just cocked his head slightly, as if trying to figure out if he was for real.

"Dean!" John hissed, sensing Dean's recklessness.

"What are you planning to do?" he snapped angrily, moving a step forward. "You want to take Sammy away, too? Well I won't let you."

"Dean, get the hell out of here!" he heard his father hiss again.

But Dean moved on, anger propelling him as he stared at the cause of their suffering. "Give me back my brother," he demanded icily.

The demon just stared back at him, stroking his brother's dark locks. He took one more step, ready to grab Sam.

"Give me back my brother!" he shouted angrily.

"Demanding boy," the demon scoffed, looking amused. "You ask on what _my_plans are, when what you should really be asking is –"

Dean gasped in shock and later in pain as he was thrown back against one of the walls, now stuck like his father.

"—what are _you _planning to do?"

* * *

"_This is it," Dean said as he marched up the lawn. _

_Sam looked up at the beautiful old house. He glanced at the almost bare tree standing tall at the corner. "Daddy's here?"_

"_Nah," his brother replied. "I'm thinking Dad went to the cemetery first, I'ts what he usually does when he's working with this stuff."_

"_Besides, this isn't the house Dad said he'll be working on. This, Samantha, is our old house."_

_Sam frowned at the nickname, but his eyes went big at the information. "It's Sam," he murmured. "Our house? When Mom was still alive?"_

"_Oh. Dean?"_

"_Hmn?"_

"_Why are we here? Shouldn't we go and look for Dad first?"_

_His brother frowned as well. "Well, we can't exactly afford a motel right now, squirt. I can't exactly carry all of your girly stuff around while we look for Dad."_

"_Besides, this is the first place that came to my mind."_

"_I dunno," Sam contested, "I still think we should have called Pastor Jim first."_

"_Well, we're here okay? Jeez, why did I get stuck with a nosy brat for a brother like you?" Dean grumbled, already picking the lock of the front door._

_Sam continued to stare at the house. _So this is where we lived with Mommy…

_He looked at the bare tree and its sturdy branches. _This is where Daddy and Mommy and Dean smiled before…Daddy doesn't smile like that anymore.

_His musings were cut short as he felt something wet drip on his upper lip. He cautiously dabbed at it with his fingers, and frowned when he saw blood once more. He quickly wiped the nosebleed with his shirt sleeve._

Give me back my brother!

_His head snapped upwards, shocked at the sudden shout. The voice was unmistakably Dean's, but his brother was just by the door, wasn't he?_

_Sure enough, Dean was there, bringing their bags inside their old home._Huh?!

"_Hey, are you coming in or not?"_

_Sam took a step back as he was taken abruptly out of his thoughts. Dean frowned, sensing his brother's distress. "What's wrong, Sammy?" he asked as he walked towards his brother._

_Sam looked at the concerned face of his older brother, trying to read every curve and line of the familiar face. He couldn't explain his sudden bout of apprehension. The recurring feeling that something was very wrong returned full force, and he just shook his head in confusion at Dean's question._

"_Don't you want to see where we used to live?" Dean queried. "C'mon, bro, tell me what's up. You look weirder than normal." His brother laughed at his own joke, but his chuckles quickly died as he saw Sam wasn't amused._

"_Seriously, Sam, what's wrong?"_

_Finally, Sam found his voice. "I don't know, Dean," he mumbled uncertainly. "I –I don't think it's safe."_

_Dean laughed. "What? You're scared that the house isn't safe?" His brother ran his hands through his short hair. "Dude, there's no one inside. The house is freaking abandoned!"_

_Sam still wouldn't budge. _

_Dean's smiled softly. "Here," he said, offering his hand out to his baby brother. "I'll hold your hand all the way inside if it makes you feel better."_

_Sam looked at the open hand of the person he trusted most in the world. Dean looked so confident of their safety, and yet a voice within him kept on insisting that the last thing he wanted was to be inside that house._

"_C'mon, Sammy," Dean said, smiling._

_Heart pounding, he started to reach for his older brother's outstretched hand. _

"_That's it," Dean encouraged as his hand started to move towards him, a hint of gold flickering in his eyes. "Just hold my hand and let's go inside."_

* * *

"Hmn…you two don't seem to be enjoying yourselves," the demon commented, feigning hurt. "I'm offended."

He grinned maliciously at the two Winchesters struggling against their bonds, before softening as he looked back at the sleeping boy in his arms.

"I told you to run, son," John muttered darkly. "Now were both stuck!"

"Well, I'm also not enjoying being a part of the bulletin board, sir," Dean answered dryly. "Besides, I can't just leave my family."

Both men stopped bickering at the sound of the demon humming to Sam.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Can't we send him back to Timbuktu or something?"

John shook his head. "We could, but not while he has his filthy hands on your brother. Bastard already knocked him and his teacher when I came in."

Dean glanced at the still unconscious woman on the corner. "I can't believe I'm saying this…but I wish this never happened and I am still in Math class right now."

John smirked at that, before shouting at the evil entity. "Hey, cut the shit will you? We _get_ it, we're stuck. Quit taunting us."

The demon stopped humming, its eyes now looking at the eldest Winchester.

Dean's eyes went wide at his father. "Dad! What are you doing? He's gonna hurt Sam!"

John ignored him, instead focusing on the enemy. "Give my son back, you son of the bitch. I don't care what it takes, but you're not taking him away from us." Then he started chanting the exorcism right again, all the while staring at the demon.

The demon sneered at the hunter. "Aww, how touching, John."

The demon then looked down on the sleeping boy in his arms. "But I fear you're already too late."

As if on cue, Sam's eyes fluttered and slowly opened.

John and Dean Winchester froze as their youngest family member looked back at them with coal-black eyes.

* * *

Like I said, it's really short. Bear with me. --Tari 


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ** My sincerest apologies for the 2-year gap in updating this story. This was originally a oneshot, but it ran away from me. Then my PC crashed, taking away chapters I've already worked on...there is not enough excuses, I know. I am trying my best. Thank you for those who still read this anyway. Oh, this work has never had any beta's , so all mistakes are mine!

**DISCLAIMER:** I wished. I hoped. I even asked Santa. But I've been a bad girl...so no dice.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**  
by Tari Palantir

Dean has always prided himself on how well he knew his little brother. Even his Dad knew that when it comes to Sammy, Dean knows best. He knew what Sam was feeling even before the kid told him anything. He also knew that Sammy's patented puppy-dog eyes are his best charm, since even him and his Dad were not always immune to its power.

Sam's eyes broke his heart now. Gone were the green orbs that glinted with flecks of mischief when he smiled. Gone was the innocent curiosity that made Sam, well, _Sammy_.

The kid was looking up at them now, first at their Dad, then at him, a curious look on his face, like a scientist watching his newly-discovered creatures.

"Do you like them Samuel?" the demon whispered, bending to peer into his young charge's eyes. "I kept them up there for you."

Sam nodded, smiling slightly.

The demon then turned to the two pinned Winchesters. "Do you like Samuel's new look?" he mocked, chuckling. "It suits him right?"

"What have you done to him?!" John seethed, now struggling desperately at the invisible bonds keeping him from saving his youngest.

"Relax, John," the demon replied. "I just merely_ influenced _him. The kid needs a nudge in the right direction, that's all."

"What do you mean by influenced?" Dean asked angrily. "He looks possessed to me!"

The demon smirked. "Possessed? Do you see any other demons around here?" He leaned in again to smell Sam's hair before grinning at the two hunters. "Consider this as a preview of Samuel's true nature."

He lowered Sam gently on the floor, making the kid stand in front of his family. Both elder Winchesters watched, as their youngest member walked towards them. Sam stopped and looked up at his family, and Dean saw that there was no recognition in those black eyes.

Sam's dark orbs stared up at him, one eyebrow quirking up with mild interest, as if surprised that a grown-up like him is stuck on the wall. His brother's gaze then turned to the other person beside him, who was also shaking in mute horror.

"Christo."

Dean jerked his head towards the sound, and realized that his father has spoken. He then quickly turned back and looked down at Sam, dreading the kid's reaction.

His father told him that possessed people flinch at the name of God. He even told Sam to practice saying the word, just in case. He wasn't sure that Sammy even knew what it was for. He just told him to say it to check if a person was a "bad man".

But Sam only cocked his head slightly to the right, his forehead scrunched not in pain, but in confusion. He looked back at the yellow-eyed man standing behind him, silently asking for an explanation.

It was definitely not the reaction they were hoping for.

"Now, Samuel," the demon replied to the unspoken query. "You should never say that word. That is a very, very bad word."

At Sam's nod, he continued. "Now, what did your teacher say about people who say bad words, Sammy?"

Both Winchesters froze as Sam turned back to look at them, a creepy smile slowly forming on his lips.

"We put them on time-out."

* * *

_Sam stared at the old house in awe. _It really looks like the one in Daddy's picture! _he thought. He clutched Dean's hand a little tighter as he felt a twinge of apprehension in his gut._

"_It'll be okay Sammy," his brother murmured, soothing his fears. We won't stay here for long anyway, just until we find Dad."_

_He nodded, swallowing hard. He slowly let Dean tag him along towards the abandoned house. A sudden thought caused him to falter, stopping their progress._

"_What is it, Sam?"_

_He looked up to his brother's concerned face. "What if there are monsters in there? What if they eat me?"_

_Dean rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "There aren't any monsters inside the house. And even if there were, I'll be right here to protect you." He gently coaxed Sam towards the door. "C'mon, we need to put our stuff in somewhere safe so we can find Dad already."_

"_But what if there are demons?" he suddenly blurted out, and Sam covered his mouth. _Oh no, now he'll find out!

_Sure enough, his older brother's eyes narrowed at his question. "Demons? Where did you learn that word, Sam? Who told you that?!"_

_He looked down, not wanting to answer his brother. _Great, now Dean's mad at me…

"_Sam, I know for a fact that I never taught you that word. Care to tell me who taught you that?"_

_Sam met the inquiring gaze of his sibling, chewing on his bottom lip in shame. "I heard it from Daddy."_

"_From Dad? When?" Dean wanted to know._

"_I heard him talking one time with Uncle Bobby," he admitted. "He said a demon took Mom away from us. But I swear, I didn't mean to, Dean! I was just looking for my green crayon."_

_Taking a deep breath, he waited for his brother to get angry at him. Dean always told him not to "butt in other people's business" and to "quit asking stupid questions"._

_Dean surprised him though. Instead of getting angry, he just gave out a short sigh and huffed. "Well, in that case, there's nothing we can do about it now. Just don't blame me if Dad asks how you knew, okay?" _

_Sam nodded. _

_"Sam..." his brother prompted._

"_Okay, I promise." _

"_You better, squirt," Dean replied. "He'll have my hide if he finds out, that's for sure," Dean muttered, more to himself than to Sam. He started leading Sam towards the door again._

"_Hey, Dean?" _

_A sigh. "Yes, Sammy?"_

"_It's Sam. Can I ask you a question?"_

_His brother snorted.. "Uh, you already did, kiddo. But you can ask another one if you want."_

_Sam took a deep breath before continuing, "What is a demon?"_

_Dean suddenly stood still and stared off for a quite some time that Sam thought he was sleeping with his eyes open._

"_Dean?" he prompted, shaking his older brother slightly by his waist. "It's okay if you don't want to answer…it's a stupid question anyway."_

_At that, Dean finally turned to look down at him, his eyes suspiciously bright and moist. "You know, Sam? I really don't know", he answered. "Dad never told me much."_

"_But trust me on this bro, demons are bad news. Stay away from them, you hear me?" _

_He gave a firm nod, startled by his brother's behavior. _

_His brother then turned his attention back to their destination. He gently turned the knob, cringing when the door gave an ominous creak._

"_C'mon, Sammy, let's come inside."_

_Sam gulped down the still-present feeling of uneasiness and nodded, stepping towards the entrance to their old home, still clutching his older brother's hand. For a moment he thought he heard someone say "Christo", but he quickly dismissed the thought and figured he was imagining things again._

* * *

**Sorry it's short, but it's better than nothing right? Happy holidays! --- Tari**


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** I finally managed to sneak enough time at work to type this thing. I apologize for the wait, although I bet you guys already know how long I take to write if you have read this from the beginning. Rest assured that I am working on polishing the next part as I post this so that I can upload it too. Thank you for your patience, for putting me on your alerts and for leaving reviews. I am humbled and grateful for it. BTW, I don't have any beta's so please forgive grammar errors.

**DISCLAIMER**: Supernatural is this awesome show that will never be mine, no matter what I do. So don't sue.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**

by Tari Palantir

_"Well, what do you know," Dean commented. "They still kept the furniture." He motioned to the sparsely decorated living room. He then slung their duffel on his shoulder and stepped forward to the long couch situated in front of an old television set._

_Sam watched, still in the doorway, as his brother ran a tentative finger on the couch. Dean's face scrunched up at the gathering dust. "I guess housekeeping hasn't exactly been here though."_

_He then looked at his little brother, who was still clutching the doorframe, knuckles almost white. "Come inside, dude," he coaxed. "There's nothing here to be scared of."_

_Sam reluctantly relinquished his hold on the doorframe and walked towards his brother, eyes gazing around the living room, drinking in the sight of the unfamiliar room. _It's so big!_ he thought._

_"Do you like it Sammy?" Dean asked, grinning broadly at the look of wonder on his baby brother's face._

_Sam nodded. "It's so big, Deanie! " he then spoke, unable to contain his excitement._

_"Is it? Looks kind of the same size as the motel we were staying at."_

_Sam shook his head. "Nuh-uh! This is bigger!"_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah, like, like, this big!" He made a wide circular motion with his arms, stretching them as far as he was able._

_Dean laughed at that, and shook his head in amusement. He then gestured to the room they were at. "Well, Sammy, let me give you a tour of our old house. This was our living room."_

_Sam perked up in interest. _Dean's teaching me something important_, he thought. He likes it a lot when Dean taught him about stuff._ Like that time he taught me how to make loops with my shoe laces!

_"The leaving room?" he asked, trying to see why anyone would want to leave anything in the room. _It's so dirty, eww.

_His brother chuckled. "No, Sam, it's the LIVING room. Living, not leaving."_

_"Right," Sam nodded, though he didn't really quite understood what his brother meant. "What's a living room?"_

_"Well, I'm not sure why they call it that, really," Dean admitted. "But if I would live in any part of the house, I would live here."_

_"But why Deanie?"_

_"It has television and a couch. What more could you need?" his brother responded._

_"Oh."_

_Dean steered him then to the next room. Sam saw a table with old tall chairs and a sink with rusty pots and pans. "Now Sammy, I think you know what room this was."_

_Sam smiled. He knew the answer to his brother's question. "Ms. Dizon told us what it was when she read us a story. It's the kitchen, right Dean?" His smile grew wider as Dean nodded._

_"Dean?" he asked, looking up to his brother's face._

_"Hmm?"_

_"Did Daddy clean up his** stuff** before here too?"_

_"No, Sammy, he didn't. We used to eat here, though," Dean replied, smiling sadly. "Mom made great pancakes here, before…"_

_Sam saw his brother shake his head, as if trying to shake off the memory. "Well, enough of this musty kitchen," Dean said, changing the subject. "Let's go upstairs!"_

_His eyes widened. "Our house has rooms upstairs?"_

_Dean laughed at his reaction. "I know, it's sounds crazy right? We actually had our own rooms, Sammy."_

_If it was possible, his eyes went bigger. "Our own rooms? Really, Deanie?"_

_"Yeah, one for me and one for you. Mom and Dad also had theirs, of course."_

_Sam could hardly believe it, and he looked up the staircase with great excitement, fear already forgotten. "Whoa." he said simply, earning another chuckle from his brother._

_Dean then clutched Sam's hand, leading him to the staircase. "C'mon, there's a specific room you have to see."_

_Sam eagerly followed, holding Dean's hand. Together, they climbed up the wooden stairs into a small hallway._

_Sam counted the doors with his index finger. "There are four rooms, Dean!" He showed Dean his four fingers happily, just like what they did in school._

_"Of course there are four rooms. This one was Mom and Dad's," Dean gestured to the one on the right. "That was the bathroom and the other one beside it was my room" he continued, pointing to the other two rooms on the left._

_Sam stared at the remaining door on the right. "How about that one?"_

_Dean looked at Sam then looked back at the unnamed door. He then led Sam towards the remaining room and twisted the doorknob to open it._

_Sam smiled at the sight before him. He stepped further inside, noting the light color and stuff toys adorning the walls. In the middle of the room was a white crib with something swirling above it. He turned and looked at his older brother in question._

_"That's a mobile, Sammy," Dean replied to his silent query. He turned back to look at the crib again. _It's beautiful_, he thought. _Just like in my dreams…

_Sam suddenly felt something wet hit his head from above. He thought he imagined it, but he felt another drop on his forehead. Curious, he felt his forehead with his right hand. His eyes narrowed in confusion when he saw his fingers come away wet with something red. Naturally, he looked up to find the source._

_Sam gasped and stepped backwards in fear at what he saw. The entire ceiling was soaked in red, and he was sure it was not paint. It was the same red that welled up on his knees when he fell and scraped it the other week at the school playground. _Blood!

_He felt himself stop as his back came to rest on his brother, who was still standing by the door. He saw the blood start to drip at the corners of the room._

_"Dean?" he asked fearfully, turning and looking up at his brother in alarm._

_His older brother looked at him too, and he was shocked to see Dean's grim face directed at him. For a moment Sam forgot the bleeding walls, startled at the anger radiating from his sibling._

_"This was your room, Sam," Dean said, face full of contempt. "This was where you killed Mom."_

_

* * *

_

The pain registered first before understanding dawned on John. The sudden crushing weight on his chest hindered him from breathing, making him gasp and choke, trying in vain to catch the breath he was not expecting to lose. He could hear Dean shouting frantically beside him, and he turned his head to look at his eldest with his wavering vision. He looked back down at his youngest as he struggled with all his might to break free from the immense pressure in his upper body.

Sam was still standing in front of them and was still staring up at them with those creepy black eyes that looked just so wrong on his baby boy's normally sweet face. He had his right hand extended out, palm facing them. The demon-possessed man still stood behind his youngest, but this time he had his hand grasping Sam's outstretched arm.

"Do you see that Samuel?" the demon asked. "See how he can't breathe when you_ push_ like that?"

He smiled when his young charge nodded. He then removed his guiding hand and said, "Now let me see you do it yourself."

Dean watched in horror as his brother continued to suffocate their father, hand outstretched and a small smirk gracing his lips. "Sammy, stop it! You're killing Dad!" he begged. His father's face was slowly turning blue. "Stop it right now!"

But his little brother seemed unfazed by his pleas, and only looked at Dean blankly before shifting his gaze back to their father.

The demon's laugh echoed in the small classroom. He then bent down and hugged Sam from behind, lowering his arm. "That's enough Samuel", the demon said, ruffling the little boy's hair. "Good boy."

John coughed harshly, trying his best to recover his regular breathing pattern after the impromptu choking he endured. The force Sam has exerted without the demon's guidance was not as strong as the initial pressure he had felt, but it still hurt nonetheless.

"Dad, you okay?" Dean worriedly asked before sighing in relief when his father nodded while taking huge gulps of air. He then glared at the demon, who was now staring at them with amusement as he wrapped one arm across Sam's shoulders in a possessive gesture.

"That was very good, Samuel," the demon murmured in his brother's ear. "A little more practice and we can crush people's rib cages in no time." He wiped Sam's nose with his hand as another small trickle of blood fell from the kid's nostril. "Hmn," he frowned slightly, wiping the blood on his jeans. "Make that a lot of practice time."

He then turned his yellow orbs on the elder brother shooting daggers at him with his stormy green eyes.

"What's the matter Dean?" the demon teased. "Isn't this what you wanted? For Sam to show his true self so you and your father can get rid of him like you want to do to me?"

Dean frowned and he can clearly see his father's confusion as well from the corner of his eye. "What are you saying? We only destroy evil things like you. Sam isn't evil and I don't want to get rid of him, no matter how annoying he can get!"

The demon-possessed man's eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Oh I'm sorry," he said while smirking. "I thought it was you, but it was actually the _other Dean_ who feels that way."

"What do you mean other?" Dean asked in confusion. Turning to his father, he asked, "Dad, what does that mean?"

"It means," John responded grimly, "that he has Sam's mind trapped somewhere, and he's impersonating you to get to your brother."

The demon clapped. "Bravo, John! You nailed it right on the head. I guess Samuel's brilliance also has to come from your side of the family."

Dean scoffed. "That was your brilliant plan?" he asked, smirking despite his fear. "I think Sam knows me better than you think. He may be little, but he's too smart to fall for that. He'll know it isn't me."

The demon quirked one of his eyebrows. "Really?" he asked sardonically. "Funny, that's what your father also said earlier."

He stepped from behind Sam and walked until he was almost face to face with Dean.

"Tell me, Dean-o", he asked. "If Sam really knows you enough, why, pray tell, is he sporting a new look?"

Dean swallowed, unable to reply, yet still stared at the demon defiantly. "Just what are you making Sam do with your impersonator, huh? Get him to go with you? Well, I won't let you take him."

"Oh, he's already done that. Hence the new set of eyes," the demon said haughtily. "Sam will follow anything Dean says, and I thank you, John, for that." He then stepped back and stood behind Sam, who was still staring blankly at them with his dark eyes. "I don't know how you did it, but Samuel here takes your words as truth, Dean. It's amazing really, the level of trust and faith he has in you."

The demon then bent down and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder and continued, "And with your words, Sam will be mine completely. I will tell him his true nature and purpose, and he will accept it as the truth. Because his dearest Deanie said so."

"Sam would know it isn't me," Dean declared, sounding braver than he actually felt. "And you can't exactly keep him zonked like that," he continued, jerking his head towards his brother's blank stare.

"True," the demon conceded, "I cannot keep Samuel inside my mind mojo forever. But as long as he stays zonked, as you eloquently put it, his abilities are mine to control. And by the time he wakes up, I would have already disposed both of you, and I can take Sam under my wing. It wasn't what I originally planned, but seeing things as they are now, I changed my mind."

John paled at the demon's words. _Just like what Missouri said before…_

Beside him Dean was also reeling at the revelation. _Abilities? Wait, the spoon bending is coming from Sam?_

As if reading their mind, the demon smiled at him knowingly. "I did say that Sammy's a _special_ little boy, right?"

"Damn you!" Dean hissed. "Get away from my brother!"

"Ah, I am already damned, Dean Winchester," the demon replied simply. He looked down at Sam. "Samuel?"

Sam looked up, eyebrows slightly raised in question.

"It's time for your next practice."

Sam smiled and raised his hand towards his family, his black orbs twinkling in mischief.

* * *

_Sam could only stare as Dean slowly advanced on him and the scowl on his sibling face made him step backwards._

_"W-what?" he stammered._

_"You heard me," Dean replied, before grabbing him by his arm and dragging him towards the center of the room._

_Sam struggled, trying his best to remove his brother's firm grip, but his small frame was not enough to overcome his sibling's strength. "Dean, you're hurting me! Get off me!"_

_But his brother continued to drag him under the bloodied ceiling and Sam gasped in pain as Dean suddenly pushed him towards the crib. Surprised, he had to use his arms to brace himself and avoid hitting the crib head on. He turned back towards his brother, trying his best to stand up. "But I didn't kill Mom, Daddy said---"_

_"Who do you think the demon was after, huh, Sam?" Dean said, cutting his explanation short. "Who do you think is the reason why Mom was burned alive?"_

_Sam shivered at his brother's words. _No, it can't be true_, he thought frantically. "Why are you being mean to me Deanie? I didn't do nothing to Mommy!"_

_Dean towered above him and Sam couldn't help but cower. I've never seen him so angry before, he thought, hands reaching backwards to try and grasp the crib to right himself up._

_But before he could even do that, his older brother suddenly wrenched the mobile hanging above the crib and snapped one of its branches off. Sam watched in fear as Dean threw away the rest of the ruined device and looked down on him, hand grasping the branch like a stake and poised to strike._

_"It's time to put you on time-out Sammy," Dean announced, his hand swinging down with the plastic branch towards Sam, aiming straight for his heart._

* * *

If you have the time, feel free to leave a review! Thanks! ----Tari


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Thank you so much for everyone who read, reviewed and placed this story on their alerts. We are almost done, and with the finish line so near I am keeping a tight hold on my restless muse so that it won't escape my clutches like it did last time. All errors are mine, no beta reader but myself for this one!

**DISCLAIMER**: Season 5 has come and go, and I still don't own them. Please don't sue.

**NEARLY LOST YOU**

by Tari Palantir

John watched quietly as Dean and the demon taunted each other. He could feel the invisible force pinning him to the wall lighten a little as the demon was distracted, and he managed to slowly creep his left hand under his back to grasp the spare blade he had managed to slip in the waistband of his jeans before going out this morning. He eyed his gun on one of the desks in the room, wishing he had brought a spare one as well. Well, wishes won't help you now, he thought.

His heart clenched as the yellow-eyed bastard mentioned Sam's abilities, and how his mind mojo was enabling him to control his youngest. Missouri hinted of the same a few years back, and he tried hard to quell the questions that threatened to take away his focus on the situation at hand. His heart then thudded quicker as he heard the demon announce another round of Sammy's _practice_ and knew he had to act fast if he wanted to have the Winchester line continue on to the next generation.

John saw his eldest look at him briefly, silently asking his father about their battle plan. He gave Dean a knowing look, trying his best to convey what his plans were. Save Sam, I'll take the bastard.

He was rewarded with a minute nod by his 9-year-old son, and together they both faced the evil entity holding their family's most precious treasure hostage.

_Time to get our Sammy back._

As the demon once again guided Sam's hand up towards them, John grasped the blade tighter and pushed against his bonds with all his might. He gasped in pain as his arm suddenly, miraculously, broke free from the demon's hold. The split-second of freedom was enough for the former Marine to throw the hidden knife towards their enemy, the weapon's projectile locked towards its target.

John Winchester hated to miss.

* * *

_Time seemed to slow down as Sam saw the ragged and pointed end of the mobile branch swing down from above towards his chest. He saw Dean's face almost snarl in contempt, looking like the brave warrior about to slay a dragon that he once saw in a storybook._

_Sam's arms instinctively rose to defend himself from the threat. His hands grabbed his brother's attacking arm to escape becoming impaled by the crude weapon. Still, Dean had the advantage of strength and leverage, and his eyes widened in alarm as the sharp and pointy end of the mobile branch slowly descended inch by inch towards his chest despite his best efforts to stop its progress. It didn't help matters when Dean's other hand tried to pry his defending limbs away._

_"Dean, stop it!" he pleaded. "Please Deanie! Please!" His arms were getting tired from keeping his sibling's attack at bay. He had a feeling that he was somewhat responsible for their mother's death, but he never voiced it out loud, afraid that Dean and his Dad will confirm it. Ever since he could remember, talking about Mommy was a no-no in their family. He tried asking his brother and father numerous times about her and the reason why she died,, but they always told him to "stop asking questions" or in Daddy's case in particular, "not now, Sammy". His family's reluctance to speak about Mom always made him feel left-out, and this only fueled his fear that the reason he wasn't allowed to ask questions was because he himself was the one who killed her. It was only until he overheard Daddy and Uncle Bobby that things became clearer to him. Now it seems there was more to the story then they let on._

_"Why should I stop?" Dean replied angrily, pushing against Sam's arms with renewed vigor. "You killed Mom, right above this crib! You ruined our family!"_

_His brother smiled bitterly at him, before continuing, "I've tried so hard to forgive you for what you have done and forget what happened, but I couldn't." He gestured with his free hand wildly at the blood that was still slowly dripping down the walls towards the center of the room, soaking the wooden floorboards in their wake. "You're evil Sam. It should be your blood that's spilling from this ceiling, not Mom's."_

_"I'm not evil! I didn't kill Mommy!" Sam replied, shaking his head in denial. His arms were now numb from the pressure above him. He gasped as Dean managed to pry his arms away from his chest and effectively pinned them above his head, leaving him open and vulnerable for his brother's attack._

_"Yes you did," Dean shouted, "and for that you have to pay!" He swung his arm down for the killing blow._

_Sam tried to break his arms free from Dean's hold but was unsuccessful no matter how much he struggled. He looked up at Dean as he shouted one final plea to his brother. "Noooooooo!" He closed his eyes, anticipating the pain—_

_- and opened them again as he felt a sudden force come forth from within him, struggling to get out. With his heart thudding loudly in his ears, he let go, and he saw his brother flying backwards towards one of the bleeding walls as the force **pushed **him away. The mobile branch clattered noisily on the wooden floor, wrenched away from his brother's grasp._

_Sam slowly stood up, body trembling at the unexpected power surging in his veins. He turned to his sibling and was shocked to see Dean pinned to the wall. He was struggling against the unseen bonds keeping his stuck, and for some reason Sam knew he was the one causing it._

_"I knew it," Dean spat, squirming from his spot, blood from the walls soaking his shirt. "You are a freak."_

_"Dean, I—"he stuttered, unable to explain himself. He couldn't understand what was happening. "W-what's going on? I feel w-weird." He could feel a new force rushing through his body, and he clenched his hands into tiny fists as he tried to quell the new tide of energy trying to escape from his form._

_Sometime after he woke up, things changed. He couldn't figure out what it was exactly, but he now understood why he'd been having this unexplained feelings that something was wrong. He looked around the room, trying to see what he had missed. He tried to recall what happened before everything seemed to have changed. Images of his brother suddenly flooded his brain as he tried to remember._

_Dean shaking him awake in his bed, calling him a girl -_

_Dean serving him Spaghettios, telling him it's his favorite -_

_Dean standing by the window, ordering him to pack his stuff to look for Dad-_

_Dean looking at him in concern, wiping the blood that suddenly fell from his nostrils-_

_Dean holding out his hand, asking him to come inside their old house -_

_And then it dawned on him. _It all makes sense now_, he thought._

_He didn't know why and how, but he knew what he had to do. He bent to pick up the fallen mobile branch from the floor, which was now sodden with blood. Sam ignored the coppery tang in the air, and boldly strode in front of his brother._

_"So what now, Sammy?" Dean taunted, looking at the makeshift stake in his shaking hand as he approached. "You wanna try that on me?"_

_Sam stared at his brother and tried to ignore the taunts thrown at him. He looked critically at the person he admired the most in the world. He knew there was a small chance that he was making a mistake, knew that his brother had a right to punish him for killing their mother, but every fiber of his being screamed that this is what he should do. He didn't follow his instincts before, but maybe now he should._

_He felt the tears cascading down his cheeks as he spoke. "I'm sorry."_

_His brother scoffed at his heartbroken apology. "Sorry? Do you think that would all make it better?"_

_Sam shook his head sadly in response, raising his stake-wielding arm, pointy end aimed at his older brother's chest._

_Dean frowned at the sudden role-reversal. He struggled more insistently at his bonds, but he couldn't break it off._

_"First you killed Mom, and now you'll kill your brother?" he asked angrily. "I knew it, you're nothing but a monster!"_

_Sam wiped at his wet cheeks with his free arm and took a deep breath, gathering all the courage he could muster. He could hear someone calling his name in the distance._

_SAMMY!_

_I should have known, he thought._

_"I didn't kill Mommy," he replied in a determined voice. "And I won't kill my brother." he moved his arm further back, ready to strike._

_"Then why are you itching to bury that pointed thing in me?"_

_Sam smiled, dimples and all. "Because you're not my Deanie."_

_The broken mobile branch hit its target. The entire room brightened as his brother screamed in agony. Sam thought he saw a knife coming towards him, but then the light surrounding him was extinguished and he knew no more._

_

* * *

_

Dean saw his father's knife cut through the tension-filled air towards their enemy as he too struggled to break free from the demon's hold. He had felt the pressure pinning him to wall ease a little while the demon gleefully recounted his plan for his little brother, as if the demon's concentration slightly went off. The quick look that he and his father exchanged was enough for him to know what he had to do.

He had to save Sammy even if it's the last thing he'll do.

As the demon snarled at the surprised pain of having a silver knife embedded on his shoulder, Dean felt the barrier holding him at bay break, and he fell awkwardly from the wall. He immediately stood up and sought out his brother, unmindful of his ungraceful descent. He saw his father break loose as well from his peripheral vision.

"NO!" the demon yelled in fury, ripping the knife from his shoulder and trying to grab his young charge in retaliation.

But Dean was one step ahead of him, for he had already grabbed Sam and was now half-dragging, half-carrying his little brother away from the monster that threatened to once again ruin his already fractured family. Vaguely he heard his father tackle the possessed man down on the classroom floor, trying to wrench the knife from the demon's grasp, all the while chanting an exorcism rite to banish the enemy in their midst. His little brother lay passive in his arms, and he clutched his sibling tighter.

"Sammy, please wake up, please wake up," he murmured in Sam's ear as they moved, hoping against hope that the black unseeing orbs will revert back to familiar blue-green color he loved.

His pleas were cut short as he heard his father shout in pain.

He stopped and turned just in time to see his father get thrown out of the room by the demon's telekinetic power. The classroom door was slammed shut by the same force, effectively trapping him and his baby brother with the demon.

"Okay, squirt," Dean muttered, eyeing the demon warily. "Now would be a great time to snap out of it."

The demon then fixed his gaze on the remaining Winchesters and Dean shuddered internally at the hungry gleam in the entity's yellow eyes as it raked on his little brother's still form.

"Mine," the demon hissed angrily, arm raised with the blade which was now dripping with its own blood from his father's attack.

Dean tightened his hold on his younger sibling, ready to shield him from the enemy. Outside the classroom, he could hear his father battering at the door, still chanting the exorcism rite at the top of his voice.

"No, Sammy's ours. He's mine, you hear me?" he shouted back possessively.

"You Winchesters have been a thorn on my side for far too long," the demon spoke in annoyance. The possessed man flinched a little, the exorcism starting to take effect. "It's time I get rid of you and take what's been mine all along." And with that he aimed and threw the knife towards the brothers.

Dean instinctively turned his back and shielded his younger sibling, with his shoulder supporting Sam's chin and his arms curled around Sam's limp body.

_I love you little bro_, he thought, closing his eyes and wishing that his father's exorcism will work in time.

* * *

Please review! Thanks! ~~Tari~~


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